Srah Wood and Greenhills, Rhode, County Offaly

What’s proposed

Amendments to the development permitted under Offaly County Council Planning Register Reference 20/494 to: (i) revise the layout of the permitted development including solar array and inverter/transformer units; (ii) increase the height of the permitted solar array from 2.914 metres to up to 3.3 metres; (iii) provide for variable spacings between the solar array rows; (iv) provide for varying solar array tilt-angles; (v) alter the design of the electrical inverter/transformer units and reduce the number of electrical inverter/transformer units from 27 no. to 14 no.; (vi) revise the alignment of approximately 250 metres of existing on-site access tracks and construct approximately 7,500 metres of access track; (vii) relocate and redesign the permitted battery energy storage system compound including an increase in the compound footprint from approximately 3,850 square metres to approximately 10,100 square metres; (viii) alter the design of the battery energy storage system and increase the number of battery energy storage system and ancillary containers from 38 no. to 83 no.; (ix) alter Condition No. 6(b) to provide for the planting of screening vegetation at the end of the construction phase; (x) alter Condition No. 5(a) to provide for the decommissioning of the development no later than 40-years from the date of commissioning; and, (xi) all associated site development, drainage, access and reinstatement works. This planning application is accompanied by a Natura Impact Statement (NIS)